


To Light This Dark Fate

by afairytail44



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 06:05:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17955014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afairytail44/pseuds/afairytail44
Summary: The mission was to defeat bandits.There are no bandits, not down here.Down in the cave’s, there is nothing.Nothing but Natsu, Lucy, and all the illusions, deceptions, echoes, and strange magic doing everything in their power to kill them.As if that wasn’t enough, the cave is pitch black.Lucy’s afraid of the dark.Natsu is running out of fire.





	1. Chapter 1

Lucy had one fear.

Darkness.

When she opened her eyes, it was only darkness.

Darkness, and complete silence. The only sound she could hear was the sound of her own quick breaths. Her breaths that were growing shorter as she realized she couldn’t breathe. There was something crushing her. Something huge and heavy that was blocking out all sound and light.

Lucy hated the dark. She was always afraid there would be something waiting for her in it. She always hated the way it seemed to reach out for her, chase after her every time she passed by a dark alleyway. Always seeming to call out,  _ come walk with me _ . It was too easy to lose yourself in darkness. Lucy had seen it before, with her father.

Though the darkness wasn’t visible, it had been inside him, after her mother's death. It had eaten away at him and by the time he’d escaped it Lucy had already given up on his light.

Sickness killed her mother and darkness stole her father.

Lucy’s breathing became panicked as she wondered if she would die here. Alone in the dark under what she could only assume was a giant slab of stone.

How had she gotten here?

Trying to take a few deep breaths, though it hurt to do so, Lucy shut her eyes and tried to remember what happened.

What was the last thing she remembered?

Natsu.

_ Natsu. _

_ “Natsu you idiot! Don’t go running ahead, you’re not the boss!” Gray shouted angrily at the pink haired boy, who was already almost out of sight. _

_ “Why don’t you try and keep up then, ice freak?” Natsu called back in-between mischievous giggles, “Or am I just too fast for you?” _

_ “Like hell you are!” Gray yelled, he took a step forward, ready to break out into a run, but a firm hand grabbed him by the shirt collar, stopping him dead in his tracks. _

_ “I believe I said no fighting, boys.” Erza’s cold voice sent a shiver down Lucy’s spine, and she wasn’t even the one in trouble. Beside the requip mage, Wendy let out a nervous giggle. _

_ “Y-yes ma’am.” Gray sputtered. _

_ “We weren’t really fighting!” Natsu complained from afar. _

_ “Natsu! Stay with the group!” The red head commanded. _

_ “Aye sir.” Natsu quickly responded. He stopped and waited for the group to catch up, slouching as he fell into step next to Lucy. She couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the boys drooping shoulders and angry grimace. She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the rather pathetic sight. _

_ Natsu apparently heard her quiet giggles, as his gaze landed on her. _

_ “Oi, what are you laughing at Luce?” He mumbled, trying his best to sound intimidating, but Lucy saw his lips twitch. A sign that he was trying to hold back a smile as well. _

_ “Nothing, nothing.” Lucy insisted. “Just thought you’d be brave enough to stand up to Erza by now.” Lucy shrugged nonchalantly, knowing she was egging Natsu on. _

_ “Hey! I can totally take her!” He shouted. _

_ “What was that?” Erza questioned, calmly looking over her shoulder. _

_ “N-nothing.” Natsu muttered. _

_ This time, Lucy couldn’t help but burst out laughing. _

_ “You hear that fire freak? Even Lucy thinks your lame.” Gray taunted, as he appeared beside Lucy from seemingly nowhere. _

_ “No way! Luce likes me way better than you snow-for-brains!”  He shouted. _

_ “Wait, since when did this become a question of who I liked more?” Lucy asked nervously, not liking the fact that she was in the middle of their fight, figuratively and literally. _

_ “Natsu’s just jealous.” Gray teased, snaking his arm around Lucy’s shoulders and pulling her in close. _

_ Lucy didn’t think much of this. Her and Gray had hugged before, and they both knew Gray was head over heels for Juvia. He did things like these all the time, claiming that it was just the easiest way to get Natsu fired up. As to why it made Natsu so angry, Lucy tried not to think about it too much. _

_ She didn’t want to get her hopes up. _

_ “What exactly would I be jealous of, droopy eyes?” The dragon slayer asked, though his voice had taken on a much more serious tone. _

_ “That Lucy would much rather a guy like me over a pyro like you.” Gray whispered, a sly smirk on his face. His tone becoming serious to match Natsu’s.  _

_ The fire mage glared daggers at Gray. The silence following Gray’s statement hung heavy in the air between the boys, an unspoken challenge woven into his words. While they continued to march along, Lucy glanced nervously between the two mages, fearful that someone would suddenly snap. Natsu’s eyes fell away from Gray, and his gaze landed instead on the arm still over Lucy’s shoulders, pressing her against the ice mage. Lucy noticed Natsu’s jaw tighten, and apparently, Gray saw it too, as she practically felt him smirk. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lucy cut him off, fearing the consequences of aggravating Natsu any further. _

_ “Gray…” Lucy warned under her breath, not wanting this to start an actual fight between the two boys. _

_ Understanding her tone, the ice mage immediately removed his arm from her shoulders, placing his hands behind his head casually, and wiping the serious look of his face. _

_ “Not that I’d ever want to date Lucy.” He shrugged. _

_ “You can’t fool us Gray, we all know you are already hopelessly in love with a certain blue haired water mage anyway.” Lucy teased, knowing she’d hit her mark as a bright blush appeared on Gray’s face, despite his efforts to hide it. _

_ “Don’t tell her about the whole arm thing? Okay? I don’t want her…getting the wrong idea…” His words tampered off as he quickened his pace. Catching up with Erza and Wendy who were a few feet ahead. _

_ Lucy shivered as she remembered all the looks Juvia had shot her for being her ‘love rival’. “As if I would…”  Only then did Gray’s previous words kick in. _

_ “Wait, what do you mean you wouldn’t date me? Are you calling me ugly?” Lucy yelled, but Gray was already talking to Wendy. _

_ “Don’t worry about it Luce!” Natsu said, suddenly back to his happy, usual self. Natsu threw his arm around her, and though he did it all the time, Lucy couldn’t help but blush as she realized how different this one was. This wasn’t a friendly hug, this was Natsu telling Gray to back off. _

_ That, or Lucy was just getting her hopes up, again. _

_ “Besides, you wouldn’t really wanna date someone like Gray,” Natsu voice grew slightly softer, “…would you?” _

_ “What? No, of course I don’t want to date Gray!” Lucy almost laughed.  _

_ Immediately, Natsu once again reverted to his carless old self. _

_ “Good! You can do better than him anyway!” Natsu shrugged happily, removing his arm from Lucy’s shoulders, to her disappointment. _

_ ‘Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?’ Lucy wondered with a sigh. She had dealt with a drunken Cana, Freed’s runes, and all of Levy’s old, foreign language books, but Natsu was by far the hardest thing she’d ever had to decipher. _

_ “Natsu, Lucy, try to keep up! We should all stay close, the bandits could leap out from anywhere at anytime.” Erza called back to the two. _

_ Lucy pulled herself away from her thoughts, deciding she could deal with her personal dramas after they were done this job. _

_ “Right, we’re coming!” She called. Natsu was already a few steps ahead of her. She watched the boy fall into step with Gray and Wendy, and Lucy began a light jog to catch up with them. However, when she was only a few feet away, she felt what she could only describe as an odd tug on her waist. _

_ She stopped abruptly, looking down at her hip. This sudden freeze didn’t go unnoticed by Natsu, who had not only seen it in the corner of his eye, but also heard Lucy practically skid to a stop. _

_ “What’s up Luce?” He asked over his shoulder. Furrowing his brows when he saw the blonde staring at her keys with a confused look on her face. _

_ “My key ring’s gone…” Lucy muttered to herself. Natsu's question going completely unnoticed by her. _

_ “Lucy? What are you talking about?” Natsu asked, he must have heard her wrong, for he could clearly see her keys were attached securely to her belt, like always. _

_ Lucy looked around for her keys, spotting them on the ground a few feet behind her. _

_ “Oh, there they are.” She mumbled. Beginning to walk towards them. _

_ “Lucy, wait, where are you going?” Natsu asked, only to be completely ignored _

_ ‘That’s weird,’ she thought to herself, ‘they never fall off my belt, not even when I’m in battle, strange that they would fall off now.’ _

_ Not thinking much more of it, Lucy made her way back to where her keys were laying on the ground. _

_ Natsu watched this with immense confusion. Why was she looking for her keys? Couldn’t she see they were on her belt? Why was she ignoring him? _

_ Finally noticing Natsu had fallen behind, Wendy, Gray and Erza turned to see what the holdup was. _

_ “Natsu, what’s up? Where’s Lucy going?” Gray asked. _

_ But Natsu didn’t hear them, too focused on Lucy’s strange actions. He watched intently as Lucy bent over, seemingly to pick up something, though he saw nothing but a few dead leaves. _

_ Then it clicked. _

_ “Lucy no!” Natsu yelled, breaking into a sprint to try and get the the blonde on time. _

_ Lucy’s hand brushed against the metal of her keys, then, she heard Natsu yelling. His voice snapped her out of her daze and just as her fingers curled around her key ring. The keys disappeared completely. _

_ “What the…” Lucy gaped as she checked her hip, seeing her keys were back in their pouch where they belonged. Her eyes fell back to the ground where she swore her keys had been a second ago. In their place, a small golden magic circle had appeared, and it was growing. _

_ Lucy swore under her breath and stumbled back, but before she could turn and run, her body froze. _

_ “Lucy! Get out of there!” Natsu’s yelling was more frantic now. He was trying to get to her, but even though he was sprinting, she didn’t seem to be getting any closer. He pushed himself forwards with even more desperation, watching as the magic circle spread. _

_ “Lucy!” _

_ “I can’t move!” She cried back. Lucy tried to twist herself around, to lift up her feet, to squirm, anything. But it was no use. Clearly there was some sort of magic tying her to her spot. She could do nothing but watch as the magic circle took over more and more ground, until she was standing directly in the centre of it. _

_ Natsu was closer now, finally gaining ground. He reached out for her, pushing himself forward with all his might. _

_ The magic circle began to glow. _

_ Lucy continued to try to move, to turn her head, anything. _

_ He was a meter away now. Natsu leaped, practically throwing himself at the immobile blonde. _

_ But he was too late. _

_ A bright wall, seemingly made of golden light, shot up from the magic circle, encasing Lucy in cylindrical prison of glowing magic. _

_ Natsu crashed into it. Frantically pounding on the light with his fists. _

_ “No! Dammit!” He cried.  _

_ Lucy felt her body suddenly loosen, as she regained control of her limbs. She ran up to the wall, slapping it desperately with the palms of her hands. _

_ “Natsu!”  _

_ “Don’t worry Luce, I’ll get you outta there.” He growled. _

_ “Natsu…” Lucy’s voice wavered. She had a feeling there was nothing Natsu could do. _

_ “Get back.” Natsu ordered. _

_ “Natsu, it’s not going to-” _

_ “I said get back! I don’t want to hurt you!” His voice was full of anger, but not towards Lucy. _

_ The blonde nodded and stepped back from the wall. She watched as Natsu threw various attacks at the wall, none having any effects. _

_ Tears welled up in Lucy’s eyes as panic bubbled in her chest. _

_ She looked for a way out. Above her, the light seemed to rise into the clouds, so climbing over was out of the question. She looked down at her feet, wondering if she could dig her way out. But the second her hand met Virgo’s key, she knew that wasn’t going to work. _

_ There was no magic aura coming from her keys whatsoever. In this magic circle, they were just pieces of metal. _

_ “Why aren’t they helping!” Natsu roared furiously, looking back at their friends, who were seemingly just standing, still as stone, and watching everything play out. _

_ “I don’t think they can see us Natsu. The magic is probably affecting them too.” _

_ Natsu threw another fury of flaming fists at the wall. Letting out a string of curse words with each punch. _

_ Lucy’s approached the wall, crying now, no longer caring about Natsu’s warning to stay back, as it was clear his fists would do no damage. _

_ Natsu was steaming. He slammed one final fist into the wall, letting it rest there in defeat. He pressed his forehead against Lucy’s prison. _

_ “Dammit.” He whimpered. This was his fault. Why had he let her walk away? Why hadn’t he stopped her the second he noticed something was off? Why did it take him so long to piece together that it was a trap? _

_ As if reading his mind, Lucy whispered. _

_ “This is not your fault Natsu. I was careless, I should have realized it was a trap.” Gently, she pressed her palm to the wall, where his fist rested on the other side. Slowly, he uncurled his fist his hand aligning with Lucy’s. Had the magic not been keeping them apart, their hands would have been touching. _

_ Lucy smiled softly when she noticed she could still feel the heat radiating from Natsu’s hand on her own, even through the magic barricade. _

_ Natsu wondered how the girl still smiled so bright in situations that were so dark. _

_ Lucy took a deep breath, “Natsu, I-” _

_ Tremors with a force that felt like Earthland itself being ripped apart suddenly shook the circle of land Lucy was trapped in. _

_ She screamed as the earthquake threw her onto the ground. Lucy landed on her back, letting out a choked gasp as the wind was knocked out of her. Her head hit the ground, making stars explode in her vision. _

_ “Lucy!” Natsu screamed. “LUCY GET UP!” _

_ Her vision still swimming, Lucy slowly lifted her head to look at Natsu, who appeared to be unaffected by the earthquakes Lucy had just experienced.  _

_ Natsu’s eyes widened in horror as he saw the bruises and scratches suddenly littering her body. _

_ This wasn’t even the biggest problem; because the ground underneath Lucy was starting to crack. _

_ It started with one crack, directly down the middle of the circle, but now various other cracks were spreading, and sections of the ground were starting to crumble away entirely.  _

_ Lucy noticed this too, and she tried to get up, but pain made her muscles scream with every movement. All she managed to do was turn on her side before her body gave out completely. _

_ She rested her cheek on the ground, gazing tiredly at Natsu. _

_ ‘I wish I could hold his hand one last time.’ Lucy thought, as she studied his fear filled face, wanting to take in every little detail. _

_ Would his face be the last thing she’d see? Lucy figured that wouldn’t be so bad. That was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it? To die with him next to her? But she saw the fear in his eyes and the tremble of his lips and Lucy found herself thinking: _

‘Please, God, not like this.’

_ Using all of her strength, she slowly raised a trembling arm, reaching out for Natsu. _

_ Natsu fell to his knees. Fingers splayed on the wall, watching as the ground around Lucy began to fall away. _

_ Was this it? Was he really going to lose her? _

_ He couldn’t. He  _ wouldn’t.  _ Not now, not ever. Especially not to some stupid trap. _

_ Concentrating harder than ever before, Natsu focused on sending all his magic to his hands. He pressed them against the wall as hard as he could, to the point where they trembled. He tried his best to keep his eyes open, not wanting to look away from Lucy for a second. _

_ “Come on, I just need to melt a section…” He muttered to himself through gritted teeth. _

_ “Natsu…” Lucy rasped. _

_ The pink haired boy looked Lucy dead in the eyes, his entire body heavy with guilt and fear. _

_ Lucy smiled weakly. “I love you.” _

_ Natsu felt the air leave his lungs. His heart dropped to his stomach. _

_ The ground Lucy was laying on crumbled away, and Lucy fell. _

_ Natsu felt the wall give in at his hand. He dove after her without a second thought. _

_ “Lucy!” He screamed, as he fell through the darkness. Using his enhanced vision, he looked for her form. He caught sight of her, blonde hair whipping around her face violently as she fell. Using his fire to boost him, he flung himself towards her. _

_ Grabbing her arm gently, he pulled her to him. _

_ “Don’t think you’re getting away from me that easily.” Natsu whispered into her hair, as they plummeted towards the ground. _

_ Natsu twisted his body without a second thought. Intending to serve as a cushion between Lucy and the ground. After all, he had survived worse falls. _

_ But then he felt a strange magical force arrive out of nowhere. It seemed to be a sort of black light, and it wrapped itself around Lucy. Natsu watched in horror as the light ripped Lucy away from him too fast for him to even react. _

The last thing Lucy remembered was Natsu screaming her name, and the sensation of something evil pulling her away from his warmth.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Now, here she was. Somehow trapped under this giant slab of stone. Alone, and in the dark.

Stuck in a nightmare.

It didn’t help that the rock seemed to be pressing down on her more and more with each passing minute, crushing her slowly. Lucy had learned about gravity as a child, and she knew it didn't work like this.

This was, once again, magic. Magic that seemed to hate Lucy.

She tried to push the rock off her, claustrophobia setting in.

Her twisting became more frantic, and her taking so many quick breaths was causing her to lose oxygen even faster. The rock was definitely heavier now, and it seemed like it was getting darker, if that was even possible.

Lucy was terrified, quickly losing her mind to fear and anxiety.

The darkness was coming, closing her in and swallowing her whole.

She couldn’t see she couldn’t breathe she was going to die slowly and painfully and no one would even be able to find her body.

Not able to take it anymore, Lucy snapped.

“HELP ME!” She screeched. “HELP!” Her screaming rapidly turned into sobs. “Please…someone…” Her throat was sore, dried out from screeching and lack of oxygen.

Now it really felt like she was trying to hold her breath underwater. Her lungs felt ready to explode. She gasped for air, coughing immediately when there was none to be found. Black spots dotted the edge of her vision, and she knew she wouldn’t last much longer.

Then, she remembered something.

Natsu, had fallen down with her. He was down here somewhere, and knowing him, he was probably (miraculously) still alive. With her very last breath, Lucy screamed her loudest scream yet.

“NATSU!”

Lucy gasped for one final breath, only to begin coughing and choking, as the spots dotting her vision grew, and darkness took over completely.

 

* * *

Natsu awoke with a start. He groaned as a stab of pain ran down his spine.

_ What happened?  _  He thought to himself. Slowly, it all came back. The mission, the trap, the magic circle and…

_ Lucy. _

He shot up onto his feet, ignoring the throbbing protests of his back muscles with every little movement. He frantically whipped his head back and forth in search of the blonde. She couldn’t have gotten too far from him, right?

Then he remembered the strange black light that seemingly  _ ripped _ her away from him, and decided she probably wasn’t as close as he hoped.

He lit a fist on fire, using his hand like a torch, he tried to look more carefully. He took a few steps in a random direction. The familiar sensation of panic hummed in the pit of his stomach. Anxiety hadn’t set in quite yet, but was certainly bound to make an appearance if he couldn’t find Lucy soon.

He took a breath and shut his eyes, allowing him to focus solely on his dragon senses. He listened for every noise, focused on every scent. He did this for a minute, before letting out a muttered curse when he sensed nothing.

About to continue exploring the huge open cave, he took one more step, then froze.

He turned his head so fast he almost got whiplash.

Natsu had heard a scream. And though it had been quiet, it had been desperate.

Natsu took off, sprinting in the direction of the noise, no longer caring about using his flames to light his way. He ran through the dark, rocky cave. Multiple times he stumbled, cursing as one fall resulted in him smashing his shin on a sharp rock. But even though he could feel the blood running down his leg, he never slowed down. He passed through a thinner section of the cave. It almost seemed like a hallway of sorts, and it ended in another large, open cave.

_ How the hell did Luce get all the way over here?  _  Natsu wondered. He lit his fist on fire once more and made his way towards the centre of the oddly circular cave.

“Lucy?” He called. “Lucy!” He didn’t like this cave, he didn’t like the way there seemed to be something dark ingrained into the very stones it was made out of, a black magic tainting the air that made his eyes dart around and his dragon senses tense, as if preparing for a fight.

Then, a second scream reached his ears.

This one, much louder, much closer, and much more terrified _. _

“NATSU!”

That was Lucy’s voice. Natsu quickly followed to sound to a large slab of stone laying on the ground. Not thinking about how oddly shaped it was, or how much bigger it was than any of the other stones littering the cave floor, Natsu lifted the rock with all the strength he could summon.

Only being able to grab one side, he lifted the rock so it was at a forty-five degree angle with the ground, hoping that would be enough space for Lucy to crawl out.

But Natsu’s stomach dropped as he lifted the rock, to realize Lucy was not going to be able to crawl out on her own.

Lucy laid on the rocky floor, covered in dirt, bruises and blood. Natsu cringed as he noticed her nails were chipped and cracked down to her bloody fingertips. She’d been trying to scratch her way out.

Then, Natsu realized she wasn’t breathing.

He tried to use flames on his elbow like small jet packs, to launch the rock or at least make it fall the other way. But it wasn’t working. The stone slab wouldn’t budge. In fact, it almost seemed to be  _ pushing back _ .

Not having time to analyze that, Natsu used all of his muscles to try and throw the rock. Then, as fast as he could, he ducked, scooped Lucy into his arms, and leapt out of the way.

Just as they escaped the rocks shadow, the large stone slammed into the ground, in the exact spot where it had been crushing Lucy just a minute before. It threw up a violent storm of dust, dirt, and smaller stones. Almost as if it were angry at something.

Natsu crashed into the rocky cave floor for the second time that day, but at least this time he had Lucy in his arms.

Quickly, but gently he laid Lucy down, panic increasing as he lit his fist again, and became certain she wasn’t breathing.

Gently, he shook her shoulder.

“Luce, c’mon, get up.”

Nothing.

“Lucy, please, wake up.” He shook her harder. Then he stopped, forcing himself to take his hands off the girl and calm down before he hurt her any further. He tried to think back to anything Porlyuscia had told him that could help, but nothing came to mind.

He placed a hand on her tiny wrist and shivered from how cold her skin was. Natsu searched desperately for a pulse, whispering to himself as tears came to his eyes.

But there was no pulse to be found.

Natsu’s flames sputtered out as he dropped Lucy’s cold arm in horror. “No...no, Lucy…” He ran his hands through his dirty hair. “I couldn’t...I wasn’t strong enough to protect you.” Tears ran freely down his face as the horrifying memories of future Lucy shot through his brain. He hadn’t been able to protect her then, and even after everything he’d done since, all that endless training done specifically to ensure she never suffered again, it had all been for nothing.

Lucy Heartfilia was dead.

And Natsu Dragneel was a failure.

He buried his face in hands, his body shaking with violent sobs. This was his fault. Lucy had been by his side for so long, and now she was gone. How was Natsu supposed to live without her? How was he supposed to live knowing that he’d been there when she died, and he’d been helpless to stop it?

“Lucy…” He choked, hating the way her name hurt to say. He threw himself over her body, the horror of Grand Magic Games was happening all over again. He sobbed into her stomach, choking out desperate pleas for her to come back, for this to be just another nightmare, for someone to take him instead.

“Natsu?” A soft voice cut through his sobs, and Natsu stiffened. This was wrong, he’d thought this voice had been lost to him forever. Surely he was just going insane.

The voice came again. “Natsu, what’s wrong?”

A soft hand touched his back, tickling his skin like stardust, and sending a jolt of electricity down his spine. Natsu bolted upright, wide-eyed and panting as his fire illuminated the blonde before him.

Her eyes were open, looking up at him with that familiar concerned gaze.

“Lucy…” Natsu’s voice trembled. Another tear rolling down his cheek.

Slowly, the blonde sat up, gently cupping Natsu’s cheek, wiping the stray tear with her thumb.

The boy quickly placed his hand over her own, closing his eyes and letting out a shaky sigh.

“Natsu, what-”

Before she finished her sentence, she was pulled into a bone crushing hug, Natsu’s flames licking her skin, tingling, but never burning her. Natsu buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent, his body shaking as he hiccuped and tried to gasp for air. His tears now those of relief.

After the shock of the sudden embrace wore off, Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu, placing her ear against his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat.

“What happened?” She whispered.

“You...you were hurt and…”

Lucy untangled herself from the hug, but Natsu didn’t let her get far, his arms still wrapped around her waist, forcing her to practically sit in his lap.

“I’m okay Natsu, you saved me. I’m fine.” Lucy tried to calm him down, but Natsu shook his head.

“You don’t understand Lucy...you were  _ dead _ .”

Lucy’s eyes widened. “But I’m fine now, see?” She took his hand, placing it over her heart. “Thanks to you.”

Natsu moved his hand up to her shoulder, his gaze confused. “But that doesn’t make sense, I didn’t do  _ anything _ . I couldn’t.” He paused, looking around in the darkness. “Something else healed you.”

A small draft floated by, making Lucy shiver. She tried to make sense of his words. He was right, of course. She felt no pain anymore, and had no major wounds. It was as if Wendy had healed all her injuries, and yet Wendy wasn’t here. Something wasn’t adding up.

There was a sudden tug at her hips, and Lucy shot to her feet.

“Luce? What are you doing?” Natsu asked, rising to his feet as well.

Lucy could feel it, coming from the walls, rising from the ground, floating through the air.

Celestial magic.

It was everywhere in this cave, and yet she hadn’t felt it until now. The feeling made Lucy’s skin tickle, her magic humming in her veins. She spread her arms wide, shutting her eyes and breathing in the raw power. It felt as though she were standing in the middle of a Urano Metria, it was incredible, she’d never felt such raw celestial magic in such large quantities.

Then as quickly as it had come, it vanished. She spun to face Natsu, and shocked smile on her face.

“What the hell just happened Lucy? You looked like a glowstick for a second.”

“I understand now!” She bounced over to Natsu, grabbing the had not coated in flames. “I know what happened!”

“Luce, slow down, what are you talking about?” Natsu looked at her with confusion, trying to understand her.

“It was the caves Natsu.” Lucy stepped back, gesturing to the stone walls around them.

“The caves healed me.”


	3. Chapter 3

Natsu furrowed his brow, placing a hand on Lucy’s forehead. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

She swatted his hand away. “Look, I’m not sure exactly how or why it happened, but I’m telling you,” Lucy looked around.“Something is...weird about these caves.”

“No shit.” Natsu crossed his arms.

Lucy rose slowly to her feet, walking towards the nearest wall of the cave. “It’s as if...it’s speaking to me.” She stretched an arm out in front of her, reaching for the stone wall.

Recognizing that cloudy look in her eyes, Natsu was on his feet in an instant, quickly putting himself between her and the wall. “Lucy, wait. These caves may have healed you or whatever, but I’m pretty sure they also tried to kill you, maybe don’t listen to these voices you’re hearing.”

Lucy gave him a confused look. “You can’t hear them?”

“Of course I can’t hear them! Caves don’t talk.”

Lucy sighed. “You think I’m crazy.”

“What? No.”

“Yes you do, you’re giving me that look.”

“What look?” Natsu asked.

“The ‘you’re crazy’ look.”

“I don’t have a ‘you’re crazy’ look!” Natsu protested.

“Yes, you do. It’s the one you’re giving me right now.” Lucy insisted. “Move, I’ll prove it.” She shoved past the fire mage, stomping over to the nearest wall. Lucy reached out, smacking her palm onto the stone.

“Lucy, what are you doing?” Natsu sighed.

Lucy frowned. “I...don’t know, I guess I thought this would do some-”

She was cut off as a blinding golden light shot from the wall. Lucy instinctively tried to pull her hand free, but it wouldn’t budge, as if the cave wanted her to stay. 

A sudden blast of magic shot up her arm, and it felt as though it went straight to her heart. The power flowed through her entire body now, making her skin glow and her hair shine. A huge gust of wind shot from the wall, and yet Lucy’s feet stayed planted.

Natsu, however, was flung across the cave, his fire immediately going out when his back hit the stone.

Her combined fear for Natsu and the dark sent another shot of adrenaline through Lucy, and she ripped her hand off the wall. The golden light blinked out, and Lucy was in the dark again.

“Natsu?” She called nervously.

“Yeah, right here Luce.” Natsu groaned softly. There was a beat, then Lucy saw the familiar light of Natsu’s flames in the corner of her eye. The boy was sitting upright against the far wall of the cave. He had dust in his hair and a few new scrapes and bruises, but he seemed okay.

Lucy hurried over to him, and the boy gazed up at her with confusion.

“The hell was that light? I’ve never seen your magic do that.” He asked.

Lucy gazed down at her hands, her veins still humming from the recent jolt of power.

“I...don’t know.” She ran her hands through her hair, frustrated. “I don’t understand what these caves are doing to me!”

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Natsu soothed. He slowly rose to his feet, brushing off dust and stretching his aching muscles. “You’re not hurt are you?”

Lucy shook her head. “Are you hurt?”

“A little sore.” Natsu admitted. “But I’ll survive.”

Lucy gave him a nervous look, that Natsu recognised well.

He responded with a cheeky grin. “Relax Luce, these caves are going to have to do a hell of a lot more than that if they want to get rid of me.” 

As if on cue, the was a low rumbling noise throughout the cave, causing dust to rain from the ceiling.

The blonde looked up, unnerved by the fact that the ceiling seemed closer than it had before. “I think they might have seen that as a challenge.” Lucy muttered.

Natsu looked around at the cave, the look on his face almost bored, and shrugged. “Oops.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. The dragon slayer was ever so oblivious. 

The rumbling noise came back, but louder this time. The mages watched with wide eyes as dust and small rocks began to rain from the ceiling a few feet in front of them. The rumbling continued, and the rock shower seemed to move along the ceiling, getting closer to Natsu and Lucy. Larger rocks began to fall. Rocks that were big enough to kill.

“Uh, Natsu...I think we should probably run.” Lucy whispered, her eyes never leaving the approaching cave-in. 

“Good idea.” Natsu nodded. He grabbed Lucy’s hand, spinning on his heels. “Go!” He shouted.

Hand in hand, the two of them made a break for it.

The cave ceiling came crashing down behind them, and though they tried their best to stay together, it was hard to do so without risking tripping. 

As they moved as fast as possible, Lucy’s hand began to slip from Natsu’s, sending a rush of panic through his chest. Before he lost his grip entirely, Natsu turned and yanked Lucy closer to him, then the dragon slayer simply scooped the blonde into his arms, and continued running.

“Natsu!” Lucy protested.

“It’s faster this way!” Natsu yelled over the sounds or crashing rock, “I ain’t risking losing you again Luce!”

Lucy stopped squirming, giving a soft smile that Natsu didn’t see, she curled herself closer to the boy’s chest. 

“You won’t lose me Natsu.” She whispered.

The boy’s flames were around his ankles now, lighting the path before them to ensure he wouldn’t stumble, yet still Lucy could feel their warmth. 

Then, she couldn’t.

They were suddenly submerged in darkness, Natsu cursing profusely. He was still running, but Lucy was now aware of his slowed pace, his panting between words, his struggle to keep her in his arms.

“Natsu?”

No response.

“Natsu what’s wrong?” Lucy asked, panicking now. She couldn’t see the boy’s face, but his arms were cold, that never happened unless…

Natsu was out of fire.

Lucy hadn’t even thought about it, but he’d used so much back on the surface, trying to free her. Then he’d used it again lifting the rock, and the constant use of his flames on his arms to light the way, he must have been running on empty for a while now.

“Natsu put me down! Your magic!”

“I’ll...get it...back...in just a minute...Luce.” He huffed, still running as the rocks continued to fall, the noise growing louder now. “Don’t worry…”

His foot caught on a rock, and both mages were sent tumbling to the ground. Natsu managed to cradle Lucy’s head and protect it from the fall, but he had no energy left.

Lucy was stuck on the ground, Natsu on top of her, the rocks about to crush them any minute now.

“Natsu! Get up!” Lucy shouted, but the boy didn’t move.

“I’m sorry Lucy. You should run.” Natsu whispered into her neck, and she froze as she felt something hot roll down her skin.

Natsu was crying.

As the noise of the collapsing cave grew deafening, Lucy smiled. She wrapped her arms around Natsu and hugged him tight, shutting her eyes.

“You know I’m not leaving without you.”

Dust and small rocks came first, leaving scratches on Lucy’s face and Natsu’s back. The blonde felt a tear roll down her face. She took a breath, accepted her fate…

And the rumbling stopped.

Lucy’s eyes shot open, from the sounds of it, the cave’s collapse had suddenly stopped, just before it’d crushed them.

The blonde became aware of a faint red light in the darkness, and her eyes landed on Natsu’s shoulder, where his guild mark was glowing faintly.

“Natsu, it stopped, we’re okay, but your guild mark…”

Natsu rolled off of Lucy, his eyes wide. “Yours too.”

Lucy raised her hand to see that it was also shining pink.

“What happened to the rocks of doom?” Natsu asked.

“I don’t know, they just...stopped.” Lucy looked at him. “How long until you get some power back?”

Natsu stared at his palm. “Shouldn’t be too long, but I won’t have enough fire to fight for a while.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been so useless.” Lucy frowned, she’d gotten so strong recently, only to discover she was still helpless without her keys.

“Stop it Lucy, you know it’s the caves fault, not yours.”

“Awwww you two are having a moment!” A new voice spoke up.

Lucy and Natsu spun around, both shocked by who they saw.

Behind them, floating in the air, surrounded by a faint glow of white light, was none other than the First Master.


	4. Chapter 4

_"_ _Mavis?_ What are you doing here?” Lucy stuttered in disbelief.

“I am the spirit of Fairy Tail, wherever there is a Fairy Tail mage, there is also me.” Mavis responded casually.

“That explains why our marks were glowing.” Natsu rose to his feet, a grin on his face. “You came to help us, right?”

“It is my duty, as First Master, I suppose.”

“Do you know about these caves?” Lucy asked, getting up as well. “Do you know why they’re doing all these strange things?”

Mavis’ gaze became serious, as she looked around the caves.“Indeed. The story of these caves is one I have not told in ages, I’d almost forgotten.” She looked down at Lucy. “Forgive me, I should have been there at the guild to stop you from taking this job.” Then she turned to Natsu.  “Lucy never should have gotten near these caves in the first place.”

“Okay, but why not?” Lucy frowned, confused. 

“To be frank, these caves want you dead.”

“What?” Natsu shouted, he’d suspected this of course, but to hear that it was the truth… “Why the hell do they want that? Lucy didn’t do anything wrong!”

Mavis put a hand out, trying to calm the boy. “I should be more specific. It is not the caves themselves that want you dead per say, but rather the spirits that reside within these rocky walls.”

Mavis was met with two blank, confused stares.

“Allow me to explain.” She began, “The rocks that form this cave were originally not a cave, but rather a mountain. Long ago it was rumoured that there was a powerful book that was hidden among the mountaintop. This book was known as the Heavenly Guidance.”

Lucy gasped. “I’ve heard of that before.”

“I’m sure you have.” Mavis nodded. “It was said to be the origin of Celestial Magic, and whoever held in in their hands, would have the power of a thousand burning stars harnessed in their veins.

“At the time, the village at the foot of the mountain was the home of a young celestial wizard named Lily. Legends say Lily was the first ever wizard able to harness the power of the skys, though she was merely 18, and due to the fact that she was the first wizard of her kind, she had no one to teach her ways of controlling this intense power. 

“A wise healer informed Lily one day, that should her magic not be restrained, it would eat away at her mind, and ultimately drive her insane.”

“That’s awful.” Lucy whispered.

“A terrifying fate indeed,” Mavis nodded. “The town loved Lily deeply, as her magic protected them, but as the news spread, they grew to fear her as well. Lily was deeply saddened by this, as it caused many friends to abandoned her, except for one boy.

“His name was Noah, the village referred to him as their Prince, due to his good looks and kindness, and he was deeply in love with Lily, despite her dangerous magic. He stuck by her, and for that she grew to love him as well. Desperate to save his love, Noah set off on a quest into the mountains, he was sure he could find the Heavenly Guidance and help Lily contain her powers.

“Lily begged him to stay, but the Prince was determined. Weeks passed with no word from him. Devastated and lonely, the Maiden went after him, only to disappear in the mountain herself. Horrified by the losses of the two well-known lovers, a large portion of the villagers scaled the mountain in search of Noah and Lily, but they found only their lifeless bodies.”

Lucy let out a shaky breath, and Natsu noticed her hand was shaking. Quickly, he took her hand in his, and she gave him a small smile, thankful for the comfort.

“Unfortunately, that was not the end of the villages dread. During the search party, a lone villager had gone off on his own. Legend says he found the Heavenly Guidance purely by chance. Enraged that someone so unworthy had found it so easily, the magical book is said to have created a large explosion of celestial magic. This caused a landslide, killing the majority of the villagers, burying the village, and turning the mountain into these caves you currently stand in.”

“So the spirits of the villagers, they’re stuck down here?” Lucy asked.

“I’m afraid so. And since that fateful day, they’ve turned angry. They have grown to believe celestial magic is a cruel and evil thing, and their actions are fueled only by vengeance.”

“But they’re wrong!” Natsu protested. “Lucy’s magic is incredible! She’s helped so many people! How could they think it’s bad?”

“You mustn’t blame them Natsu, the magic did kill them.”

“Wait, so they want me dead, because they think my magic is what killed them?” Lucy muttered, staring at the ground. Natsu frowned, squeezing her hand in attempt to reassure her.

“It’s not only that.” Mavis’ look was grim. “On that day, their beloved Celestial Maiden died on these rocks.” Mavis looked at Natsu. “They think yours should too.”

Natsu’s found his magic again, forcing flames onto his fist, “I don’t really care about their backstory, I ain’t gonna let em take Lucy from me.”

Mavis smirked. “I know that, but unfortunately that’s not going to stop them from trying. From the looks of it they’ve already done quite a number on you.”

She wasn’t wrong of course, Lucy and Natsu were both covered in dirt and bruises, Lucy’s keys weren’t responsive and Natsu was almost out of fire.

“Yeah, things aren’t looking great for us Mavis.” Lucy admitted.

“Don’t worry Lucy, the spirits of the villagers are a dark magic that wishes for you two to perish, like their Maiden and her Prince. However, the spirit of the Maiden herself also resides in these walls, and she wishes to protect you, Lucy. It is her magic that the spirits manipulated to trap you down here, but it is also her magic that has been healing you, and stopping the cruel spirits as much as possible.”

“Why is the Maidens spirit still here?” Lucy asked.

“She’s taken it upon herself to stand guard in the room containing the Heavenly Guidance under the name ‘Woman of the Stars’”

“You mean that old book the prince was looking for?” Natsu raised an eyebrow.

Lucy’s eyes lit up. “It’s really here?” 

Mavis nodded. “The book has caused hurt for many, but I believe that you may be able to finally end its torture, Lucy.”

“What can I possibly do?” Lucy’s voice was skeptical.

“If the magic in the book is used by a pure heart, with solely good intentions, the book's purpose will have been fulfilled. The user will gain important knowledge on celestial magic, and The Heavenly Guidance will disappear.”

“You want me to get rid of it?”

“I am inclined to believe you are the only one that can, Lucy.”

Lucy debated for a second, before letting go of Natsu’s hand, and giving a determined nod. “I’ll do my best.”

“Truly a Fairy Tail mage.” Mavis smiled. “Follow me you two.”

After what felt like an eternity of Mavis leading Natsu and Lucy through the dark, twisting caves, Natsu’s dim fire the only thing to light their path, Mavis finally stopped.

“I’m afraid this is as far as a spirit not of this cave like myself can go. The rest is up to you Lucy.”

“I’m here too!”

Mavis sighed. “And you Natsu, you can help.”

“Thank you Mavis, I’ll stop this, for the villagers sake.” Lucy’s eyes were alight with determination.

“Good luck, you two. I have faith that you will make it through this.” Mavis smirked “After all, you two are Fairy Tail’s strongest team.”

And with those words, Mavis was gone. 

“Didya hear that Lucy? We’re the strongest team!” Natsu cheered. “Oh I am so gonna rub that in Ice Princess’s face when we get back!”

“Yeah that’s great Natsu…” Lucy mumbled, distracted by the presence of incredibly strong celestial magic she suddenly sensed. Lucy squinted, and became aware of a faint golden light coming from around the corner of a nearby tunnel.

While Natsu was still cheering to himself, Lucy went towards the light.

Natsu turned to look at the girl, only to see she was gone. He panicked for a second until he caught her scent again. 

“Hey Luce, don’t go running off without me!” Natsu whined, chasing after her. “What are you looking for anyways…” He turned the corner, and suddenly he understood. “Woah…” Natsu breathed. 

He stood behind Lucy, and the two of the  gazed in awe at the room before them. 

It was a dome shaped room, the walls and floor of rock perfectly smooth, and throughout the curved ceiling, the constellations of every zodiac were seemingly carved in gold. The room was bathed in golden light, stardust drifting through the air, and even Natsu could feel the intensity of Celestial power in this room.

In the center of the room, there stood a large pedestal, seemingly made of diamond. And atop that pedestal there was a large brown leather book. The books pages were yellowing, and the spine was beginning to rip, but there was a white magic circled carved into the cover, and it seemed to continue to shine the brightest light of all, despite the books ageing. 

“That’s it.” Lucy pointed. “That’s the Heavenly Guidance.”

“Okay, great, lets go get it.” Natsu stepped forward, but Lucy’s hand on his chest stopped him.

“No, wait. I have to do this alone.” She said quietly.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous Lucy.”

“Just stay here.” Lucy ordered. She took a step into the room, stardust landing on her cheeks like golden freckles.

Natsu tried to follow her, still protesting. “No, I’m not le-”

“I said stay here!” Lucy shouted.

And all of a sudden, there was a wall of light between them.

Just like the one that had trapped Lucy, and brought about all this chaos in the first place.

The two mages stared at the magic wall trapping Natsu with wide eyes.

“Lucy,” Natsu whispered, pressing his hand to the light, he felt fear in his veins as he realized he knew this magic. “Are you doing this?” He breathed.

Lucy was frozen, her hand still outstretched. “I think so…”

“Lucy, let me out.” Natsu commanded.

“No.” Lucy snapped.

“Lucy!”

“I’ll make it quick.” Lucy said, before turning and hurrying for the book in the centre of the room.

Natsu watched, his hands shaky with fear, feeling utterly powerless. He knew far too well that if that book was dangerous in any way, there was nothing he could do, Lucy would be on her own. Every fibre of his being screamed for him to pound against the wall, to burn it, break it, make it crumble away and run to Lucy, but he restrained himself. He dared not damaged the wall in case doing so hurt Lucy in any way.

He watched as Lucy reached the book. Cautiously, she reached for the cover. Her hand met the leather, and the magic in the air trembled at her touch.

A loud, powerful voice boomed throughout the room. “Speak.” It commanded.

Lucy remained brave, her determined gaze never leaving the book. “I am Lucy Heartfilia, celestial wizard, possessor of ten of the twelve zodiac keys, and proud wizard of Fairy Tail.”

“I have been waiting for you.” The voice spoke again.

The book flung itself open, and Lucy jumped back. She watched with wide eyes as the pages began to flip, faster and faster, until the book lay open on its diamond pedestal, the page it exposed one that was blank save for a small magic circle in the middle, identical to that on the cover.

From this magic circle, a beam of light shot from it, causing more stardust to rain atop Lucy, making her glow and shimmer in the light.

The celestial wizard looked on, as the light took a shape right in front of her eyes. It twisted itself into limbs, and long flowing hair, until it was no longer light but a gorgeous woman, standing right in front of Lucy, the diamond pedestal and magic book the only thing between them.

She was gorgeous, a lady made of starlight. Her hair was spun of gold, and went down to her knees. She had a long, thin, white dress that sparkled and shone, and flowed with every slight movement she made. Her eyes were big and bright blue, as if they contained entire galaxies within them. And she was incredibly tall, her feet hovering just above the ground, her head just below the ceiling, forcing Lucy to look up to even see the lady’s face. Yet though she radiate power and strength, her smile was soft and kind, and she gazed down at Lucy like a mother would look at her child.

“Hello, Starchild Lucy.” The woman spoke, her voice much lighter and softer now.

Lucy quickly bowed her head, speaking to the ground. “It is an honour to meet you, great Celestial Maiden, Woman of the Stars.”

The Maiden let out a light laugh, bending over and using a finger to raise Lucy’s chin, making Lucy look her in the eyes.

“Now now, there is no need for such formalities my child. I’ve been happily awaiting out meeting since I felt your arrival in this cave.” She frowned, rising to her full height again. “Though I must apologise, I’m afraid the spirits of the village are still stained with bitterness, and have made your journey much more harrowing than need be.”

“I should be thanking them, it’s made me stronger.” Lucy shrugged.

“Though an apology from those asshole spirits would be nice.” Natsu suddenly spoke up from behind the wall.

“Natsu!” Lucy glared at him, her face red with embarrassment. “Can’t you see this is the  _ Celestial Maiden _ I’m speaking too?!”

Natsu shrugged. “She seems chill enough.”

Lucy opened her mouth to yell, but stopped when, to her surprise, the Celestial Maiden began laughing.

Lucy turned back to the woman, bowing again. “I sincerely apologise for my  _ moron _ of a partner.”

“Hey!”

The Woman of the Star shook her head. “There is no need, he reminds me of my Prince when we were of that age.”

Lucy smiled, then it quickly faded, fear in her eyes. “Maiden, forgive me for asking, but is your Prince…”

“Fear not,” The Maiden smiled, “Noah’s spirit resides in this room along with mine, he’s simply a little shy, he chooses not to show himself before you.”

Lucy let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”

“You have a kind heart, young Heartifila, you are just like your mother.”

Lucy’s eyes widened. “You knew her?”

The lady made of light ruffled Lucy’s hair. “Of course darling, you are all my children.” The woman reached down, gently picking up the Heavenly Guidance. “Now it would be best if you went on your way.”

Lucy stared at the book in shock. “You’re just going to give it to me?” She asked in disbelief.

Lily smiled. “I see the light in your heart, I know you will do what’s right.”

The woman of golden light placed the book in Lucy’s hands.

“But if the book doesn’t need to be guarded, what will happen to you?”

“Noah and I will finally be free to rest in Heaven.” The Maiden said.

Lucy smiled. “That’s wonderful, I’m glad.”

“Lucy...Hurry up....” Natsu whined, tapping on the magic wall impatiently.

Lily looked as though she was trying not to laugh as Lucy blatantly ignored the dragon slayer. 

“Oh...and about that magic wall I put up somehow…” Lucy nodded in the direction of the golden wall encasing Natsu.

“Celestial mages tend to unlock other parts of their magic when nearby the Heavenly Guidance. Unfortunately I don’t suspect you’ll be able to do it again once the book is disposed of.” The woman explained.

“Good!” Natsu huffed.

Lucy shrugged. “That might be for the best.”

Lily giggled, before becoming serious again. “Your travels will be frightening and dangerous, young starchild, but know that my spirit now dwells within these pages. The very heart of celestial magic is harnessed between the cover. Keep it safe, and it shall be your guide and your protector.”

“She doesn’t need a protector! She’s got me!” Natsu shouted.

The star maiden raised an eyebrow, a small smile on her shimmering lips. She looked down at Lucy. “That’s a rather feisty Prince you’ve got yourself, Lucy. Do keep him.”

Lucy blushed, but smiled. “I intend to.”

“I sense a fiery, yet caring spirit, I quite like him.”

“Me too.” Lucy said softly.

“Best of luck, starchild.”

“Thank you, Lily. May you and Noah rest in peace.” Lucy said with watery eyes.

The woman of light placed a light kiss on Lucy’s forehead, and faded away.

Lucy turned to Natsu, determined smile on her face, but it faltered when she saw the bright blush on Natsu’s cheeks.

“Natsu, what…” Only then did Lucy remember that Natsu was a dragon slayer, and he’d heard  _ everything _ she’d said about him.

“I….like you too Lucy.” Natsu muttered, looking at his feet.

Lucy hugged the book tightly, blushing now too. “Thanks?”

Natsu facepalmed. “Let’s just get out of here.”

Lucy couldn’t help but smile. “Yes please.” She cradled the book, and hurried out of the Maidens room, the golden wall of light crumbling as she stepped through it. Finally free, Natsu quickly followed Lucy.

With any luck, they’d be out of the caves in no time.


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy had figured that since she had the book now, she would be safe. She’d assumed all there was left to do was find the exit and escape. Both mages had expected the rest of their journey would be easy.

They had been horribly wrong.

Lucy had been feeling bold on the way back, so she’d grabbed Natsu’s hand. Together, they’d walked like that for a while, Natsu’s fire not very bright, but enough to light the way, enough that Lucy wasn’t scared.

When Natsu had asked her if she knew where she was going, Lucy had actually said yes. True to its name, the Heavenly Guidance was, well, guiding her. As long as she held it, it seemed to direct her. It was as if the book just moved her feet for her.

However, though the book could guide her, it couldn’t ensure the paths she took were safe.

And one thing Natsu and Lucy had failed to realise was this;

With the Celestial Maidens spirit in the process of leaving the cave, there was no magic left to restrain the tainted spirits of the villagers. 

Lucy turned a corner, and stopped dead in her tracks.

Natsu bumped into her. 

“Luce, what’s wrong?” He asked.

“Shut up.” Lucy whispered.

Natsu wanted to ask why, but then his eyes readjusted, and he understood.

The hallway of rock before them was covered in shadows. Shadows that  _ moved _ . It was as if they were humans made of darkness themselves, they trudged along the cave, dragging their feet, making noises no human could make. And where their eyes should have been there was only the menacing purple light so often created from dark magic.

Lucy shivered with fear as she realized this was what the villagers spirits had become. Emotionless balls of shadow.

“Can we go a different way?” Natsu whispered.

Lucy shook her head. “The book says it has to be through here.”

“Maybe they won’t notice us?” The dragon slayer hoped.

No such luck.

One of the villager spirits suddenly turned their head, the bright purple beams of light practically blinding Lucy. The spirit opened its mouth, and screeched an ear piercing, inhumane sound that sent Natsu to his knees.

The sound alerted all the other spirits, and suddenly, they were lunging at Natsu and Lucy.

“Natsu get up!” Lucy shouted, but the boy couldn’t hear her, crumpled on the ground, clutching his ears.

A hand of shadow wrapped itself around Lucy’s arm, and she yanked herself free, she turned, kicking the shadow spirit in the stomach, but to her horror, her foot went right through.

The shadows wrapped themselves around Lucy’s ankles, and swept her off her feet, her head having an awful collision with the ground. She screamed, desperately kicking her legs, both arms holding onto the Heavenly Guidance with a death grip.

Natsu opened his eyes, his ears still ringing, to see the blonde almost entirely surrounded by shadows. He tried to get up, only to be tackled to the ground by another shadow spirit. The dragon slayer summoned flames the cover his arms, but there was only enough to make it to his elbow, and they seemingly had no effect on the villagers spirit. He tried to punch it, but his arm simply got caught in the shadow, as if it were a net.

“Lucy!” He screamed, reaching out to the girl.

Lucy let out a battle cry, swinging the Heavenly Guidance at the shadows head, and it was enough to make them recoil. Panting, Lucy rolled onto her hand and knees, desperately trying to crawl to Natsu.

She reached for him, her fingertips brushing his palm, then another shadow slithered up her leg, ripping her away from him.

“Natsu!” She screamed. The boy roared as more shadows leapt on top of him, he tried to get to her, he  _ needed _ to get to her, but he couldn’t. The shadows were too strong. Natsu screamed in horror as Lucy was pulled into the cloud of shadows, and vanished from sight.

Lucy kicked and squirmed. She felt like she was floating in an abyss, there was only darkness around her. She felt cold fingers grabbing her, on her legs, her arms, pulling her hair. She wanted to scream but she was afraid to open her mouth.

“You are a maiden of the light, Heartfilia.” A chorus of distorted voices sang. “It is fate that you perish in the darkness.”

“Lucy!” Natsu’s voice came again, muffled by the ugly sounds of the spirits, yet it reached her nonetheless. 

He was still alive, he was still fighting, even with no magic, Lucy had to win. She had to win for Natsu.

_ Think, Lucy. Think. _

She remembered Mavis’ explanation of the book. _ “If the magic in the book is used by a pure heart, with solely good intentions…” _

This book had magic in it. Useable magic.

Lucy held the book in front of her, arms stretched towards the clump of tainted spirits. “Celestial Goddess, Woman of the Stars, lend me your power. Help me protect Natsu.” She whispered.

The words came into her mind, unimaginable power flowing through her veins, making her glow, bright as a thousand stars.

Lucy said the spell loud and clear.

“Mille sidera... _ ardere!” _

Light shot from the Heavenly Guidance, ripping pages out of the book and burning away the cover until there was nothing left in Lucy’s hands. The shadows let out an unearthly screech again, recoiling, and disintegrating before Lucy’s eyes. The cave shook from the force of the spell, but Lucy couldn’t waste time. She rolled over, jumping onto her feet. Natsu was here somewhere, she had to find him before the cave collapsed again.

Because this time, Lily’s magic wasn’t here to stop the rocks from killing them.

Chunks of rocks fell as Lucy stumbled frantically through the dark. “Natsu!”

“Lucy!” The response was immediate.

She followed his voice, tripping and falling on top of him. She grabbed his scarf, pulling herself close.

Natsu’s voice was weak and hoarse. “Lucy, I’m out of magic. I really overdid it this time.”

Lucy forced a laugh. “Well that’s nothing new now is it?”

Natsu didn’t think it was funny. “Go, you can still escape.”

“How many times do I have to say it.” Lucy smiled. “If escape means leaving you, I don’t want it.”

“Lucy…”

The blonde made up her mind. “I meant what I said.”

“What?”

“Right before I fell, back on the surface, I meant it.”   


Natsu’s eyes were wide.

Lucy blushed, pressing her forehead to his, she closed her eyes.

“I love you, Natsu Dragneel.”

Natsu smiled. Not hesitating, he reached up, burying his hand in Lucy’s hair, and pulled her lips to his own.

Lucy kissed him happily, but desperately. She gripped his scarf tighter, trying to pull herself even closer.

The rocks continued to fall, dust flying, Natsu’s fire long gone.

They pulled apart, and Natsu gazed into her eyes.  _ God, she’s beautiful. _

“I love you too, Lucy Heartfilia.”

The caves came crashing down around them.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Lucy opened her eyes, and blinked a few times. The sun was blinding.

_ The sun! _ She thought excitedly. She sat up straight and opened her eyes more, and sure enough, she was outside! They had escaped!

“Natsu! We did it!” She turned to look at the boy, but he wasn’t there. “Natsu?” She called.

“Lucy! You’re up!” A familiar voice cheered. Lucy turned her head to see Wendy and Erza running towards her. The blonde shot to her feet, tears of joy in her eyes.

Wendy and Erza quickly pulled her into a group hug, Lucy too happy to even complain about being crushed into Erza’s armour covered chest.

“We were so worried about you two!” Wendy cried, as the friends untangled themselves from the hug.

“It was so strange.” Erza said. “It was like one moment you were there, then we heard Natsu call your name, and suddenly you were both gone!”

“What happened?” Wendy asked.

Lucy smiled, ruffling Wendy’s hair. “It’s a really long story guys, I’ll tell it some other time. But, how did you find us?”

“We searched for hours, until finally Gray noticed a hidden entrance to this weird cave. He ran inside just in time, he protected you and Natsu from the collapse with his ice.” Wendy explained.

“Speaking of Natsu, where is he? Is he okay?” Lucy worried.

“He’s fine Lucy.” Erza reassured. “Wendy healed all his injuries, and then Gray took him to get food, as he was almost completely out of magic.”

“Though it took some convincing to get him to leave your side.” Wendy giggled. “He’s going to be upset that he wasn’t here when you woke up.”

Lucy blushed at that, but changed the subject. “I’m assuming you healed me as well, Wendy?”

The blue haired girl nodded.

“I’ll have to take you stargazing sometime to thank you.” Lucy winked.

“Really? You would?” The wind dragon slayer gasped excitedly.

Lucy laughed. “Of course!” She smirked and tapped her temple. “After that big cave adventure I know a whole lot more about celestial magic, I can probably even show you a new trick or two.”

Before Erza or Wendy could ask what that meant, Gray’s voice interrupted, as the ice mage appeared from around the corner of the trail.

“Hey Lucy, glad to see your up.”

“Hi Gray.” Lucy smiled and waved.

“Lucy’s up?” Natsu’s voice came from behind Gray.

In a flash, the pink haired boy was in front of her, his hands on her shoulders, looking her up and down for injuries. 

“You’re okay.” He breathed.

“I’m fine Natsu-”

Lucy was frozen in shock as Natsu suddenly pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Unable to resist, Lucy closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into Natsu’s embrace, her heart light with joy.

Then she remembered all her friends were watching, and she quickly pulled away, her face a deep red.

Wendy, Erza and Gray all stood with varying levels of shock on their face. Wendy’s eyes were wide, her hands covering her mouth, whereas Erza just stood there with her jaw dropped, and Gray honestly didn’t really seemed phased.

“Natsu!” Lucy scolded, hitting the boy on the chest. 

Natsu looked confused. “Did I do something wrong?”

It was silent for a minute, then Lucy simply facepalmed, and all three of her friends burst out laughing.

“Well I don’t know what happened in those caves,” Gray teased, “but I’m glad you two finally worked out your sexual tension.”

“I’m happy for you guys.” Erza smiled, before grabbing Natsu by the scarf and shaking him. “But I swear on my life, Natsu, you do anything to hurt Lucy and you’ll be dead before you can even apologize. You hear me?"

“Y-y-yes ma’am.” Natsu nodded quickly.

“What does sexual tension mean?” Wendy spoke up.

Lucy simply shook her head and patted Wendy on the back. “You’re too young sweetie.”

This made the friends burst into laughter again, except for the confused, innocent Wendy, who wasn’t sure what was so funny.

“Let’s go home.” Erza said finally, with a smile.

“Please.” Lucy nodded. “I think I’m ready to sleep for a thousand years.”

With those words, the friends began their march back to the train station. Natsu took Lucy’s hand in his, a new habit that Lucy really liked, and kissed her quickly on the cheek when no one was looking.

Lucy gazed lovingly and the rambunctious pink haired boy beside her, already arguing with Gray about something, then she looked over at Erza and Wendy, who were laughing at Natsu and Gray’s antics, and her heart felt so happy.

She had a family here, who loved her for her, and she had a hot headed boy who she now knew would be by her side for eternity. Though, if she were being honest with herself, Lucy had known that long before the caves proved it.

Since day one, somewhere deep down, Lucy had always known that in her darkest times, Natsu Dragneel would never let her lose her light.

And with that knowledge, Lucy was fearless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my piece for the Fairy Tail Big Bang 2018/2019!! The lovely @grossularia on tumblr did art for this fic so go check her out! I had so much fun doing this event and really grew as a writer! I hope you guys liked this :D


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